The Australian Defence Force sacked reservist Bernard Gaynor after he made anti-gay comments on social media. The federal court ruled that he be reinstated, and the ADF is appealing that decision.
Photograph: Richard Wainwright, STR/AAP

The Australian defence force is fighting a federal court ruling to overturn the sacking of a reservist who made anti-gay comments on social media.

Bernard Gaynor, a “conservative family values” blogger and campaigner, had his commission terminated in July last year after writing on his website that uniformed soldiers in the annual Mardi Gras gay pride parade would be “sharing the road with pimps, prostitutes and purveyors of moral decadence”.

Australian Defence Force creates targets to increase number of female recruits

Read more

Gaynor has also issued press releases criticising transgender soldiers as “gender-benders” and “confused men”, and tweeted he would not want his child to be taught by a teacher attracted to people of the same sex.

He was sacked after ignoring warnings by army chiefs to cease posting material that “brought army into disrepute at a time when the ADF is progressing a number of major policy reforms in the area of equity and diversity”.